THE SOCIAL ACTIVITIES OF GOVERNMENT 125

from wage earners. These schemes are, therefore, a method of
organising saving among those who have only small incomes.
The worker who comes within all three, pays, every week, a sum
varying, according to age and sex, between is. 2d. and is. yd.
This is a noticeable expense out of a wage of perhaps 505., and
it is arguable that the contribution should be graded according
to the worker's income. None the less, a great many workers
pay out further sums totalling over £50,000,000 a year, to
private assiirance companies whose expenses of management are
decidedly higher than those of the State scheme. For this and
other reasons it may be maintained that the contributions to,
and amount of old age pensions, could usefully be increased.
This raises a further problem. Unless the people change their
habits, and start having larger families, the proportion of the
population which is over sixty-five will grow, and the cost of
providing for them will grow likewise.

It will be seen from this account that the duties of the
Ministry of Health are exceptionally numerous; and that social
insurance is a complex problem, involving the consideration of
public finance, the national wealth, the mathematical treatment
of facts, and the changes of population. At present the' schemes
are handled by more than one Department, none of which can
give them its exclusive attention. They all involve charges on
incomes of the people; they all have one object., the conquest of
insecurity and poverty. It may therefore prove necessary in tiine
to create a new Department, or an inter-departmental committee,
so that the whole effect of these services, and the extent to which
they fall short of achieving their object, may be properly studied.

THE BOARD OF EDUCATION.

The Board of Education was set up in 1899. In its history
and in its present form it resembles the Board of Trade; for
the Board is in name a section of the Privy Council, and in fact
non-existent. The President of the Board controls the whole
work of the Department, and is commonly known as the